Happy Birthday, August Babies!

August’s birthstone is PERIDOT!

Peridot [per-i-doh] artifacts and mining date back to as early as 1500 B.C. Ancient Romans were big fans of Peridot. Cleopatra also loved Peridots, but probably because she mistook them for her favorite gem – emeralds.

Some of the legendary uses of Peridot were to calm anger and sooth nerves, ward against evil, and nurture friendships. Peridot was believed to bring luck, success, and peace to its wearer. With lore like that, it’s no surprise that relics decorated with Peridot can be found in Medieval churches in Europe.

As opposed to stones like sapphire and garnet that come in many colors, Peridot only comes in green. It can range from yellowish green to brownish green to true green. Yellowish green is the color most often found in jewelry.

Miners can find Peridot around the world, including Myanmar and China. One of the largest sources on Earth is here in the U.S. – on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona. Some Peridot gems have even been found in meteorites!